# Anandamide and 2-AG Breakdown Diagram

> **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637)
> **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com)
> **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/d33-png-major-pathways-of-endocannabinoid-degredation/
> **Published:** 2026-09-04T23:02:10-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-13T14:40:05-04:00
> **Clinical Summary:** The major pathways that break down anandamide and 2-AG into ethanolamine, arachidonic acid, and glycerol, and why those pathways matter.

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[← Back to the Technical Info Summary Hub](https://cedclinic.com/topic-technical-info/)Diagram & referenceA visual reference. The evidence, sources and clinical interpretation are in the linked article.About this diagramThree stacked panels. The top panel is a box diagram of two breakdown routes: anandamide through fatty acid amide hydrolase to ethanolamine and arachidonic acid, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol through monoacylglycerol lipase to glycerol and arachidonic acid, with both routes converging on arachidonic acid. The middle panel draws a synapse, with CB1 on the presynaptic terminal, the two endocannabinoids in the cleft and FAAH marked on the postsynaptic side. The bottom panel is a time course from postnatal day 5 to 75, divided into early life, adolescence and adult, tracking CB1, 2-AG, FAAH and AEA as four separate curves.The evidence behind it[Read the evidence: how FAAH and MAGL switch off the body’s own cannabinoids, and what happened when a drug company blocked them](https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-degradation-faah-magl/)That article carries the cited studies, the limits of the evidence, and the clinical interpretation.

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### Verification & Medical Governance

- **Lead Clinical Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD
- **Credentials:** Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Former CMO Canna Care Docs (250,000+ patients supervised), Founder & CMO CED Clinic & CED Foundation, Author of *The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook* (Penguin Random House).
- **Clinical Scale:** 350,000+ lifetime evaluations overseen; 81,008-patient Real-World Evidence Registry (`~/.ced_rwe_vault.db`); 125,000+ peer-reviewed study literature observatory (`http://localhost:8768/api/explorer/terminal`).
- **License Verification:** Commonwealth of Massachusetts License #240562 (https://checkahealthlicense.mass.gov/).
- **NPI Registry:** 1962722637 (https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1962722637).
- **Ethics & Data Privacy:** Clinical registry observations adhere strictly to HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification (45 CFR § 164.514(b)) and criteria for secondary research exemption under 45 CFR § 46.104(d)(4).